Can You Eat Sweet Potatoes on Keto? Carb Breakdown, Ketosis Effects, and Healthy Ways to Prepare

Can You Eat Sweet Potatoes on Keto?

Varnit Yadav, Exercise and Nutrition Coach, Lucknow, says, “If someone is aiming to follow a low-carb, high-fat diet or more commonly known as the ketogenic diet, the addition of sweet potatoes can be counterproductive only if they occupy a large portion of your meals.” Sweet potatoes are higher in carbs than many other vegetables, so eating a lot of them can make it hard to stay in ketosis, a state where your body burns fat for energy instead of carbs.

The expert further adds, "Sweet potatoes are a wonderful addition to your meals. Sweet potatoes are low in calories and are rich in volume, which keeps you full for longer." This implies that even if you consume sweet potatoes in moderation, you might still be able to have them on a keto diet, especially if you remain low on the rest of the carbs in the day.

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Carb Breakdown of Sweet Potatoes

A medium-sized sweet potato weighing around 130 grams has approximately 23 grams of net carbs. For individuals on keto, the maximum daily carb requirement is approximately 20–50 grams. With this, even a small portion of sweet potato can use up most or even all of your carb quota for the day.

Varnit Yadav describes, "There is no need to be in ketosis to lose weight or fat. Remain in the state of caloric deficit, and you will start losing those extra kilos of weight. Sweet potatoes can be your saviour for this fat loss process of yours." That means you don't need to be in ketosis to lose weight. Consuming lesser calories than you expend is what actually counts.

Effects of Ketosis

If your priority is to remain in ketosis, then you have to watch out for sweet potatoes. Consuming too much carb content, even from nutritious foods, can push you out of ketosis. However, if your aim is to lose weight but you don't strictly adhere to keto, then sweet potatoes are still good for you.

Varnit continues, "Ketogenic diet is only useful in limited situations where the limitation of carbs can prove useful; otherwise, any person out there will be just fine if they decide not to adhere to it." This implies that keto isn't for everyone, and most individuals can lose weight without abandoning good carbs such as sweet potatoes.

Healthy Ways to Prepare Sweet Potatoes

If you wish to incorporate sweet potatoes into your diet, these are some healthy methods to prepare them:

• Roast or bake them using a small amount of olive oil and spices.
• Bake or oven-fry them as sweet potato wedges or fries.
• Use them in salads or soups as a source of added fibre and nutrients.
• Mash them using herbs rather than butter or cream.
• These techniques allow you to reap the rewards of sweet potatoes without taking on a lot of extra calories or otherwise unhealthy fats.

A study in the journal Nutrients revealed that sweet potatoes are high in fibre, vitamins, and antioxidants. Sweet potatoes can make you full and aid in healthy digestion. The study also pointed out that eating moderate amounts of sweet potatoes as part of a well-balanced diet can be included in a healthy lifestyle, even for those on a diet.

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Conclusion

You can have sweet potatoes on a keto diet, but only in moderation if you want to remain in ketosis. Sweet potatoes are healthy, nutritious, and low-calorie, so they're an excellent option for anyone on a diet who's trying to lose weight. Like the expert mentions, just be mindful of your total calorie count and have sweet potatoes in a balanced diet.